San Antonio River: The San Antonio Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio, Texas is the crown jewel of the city. Shown is the river lined with limestone rock and a walkway on both sides of the water. Also shown is one of several arched bridges for visitors to cross from side to side. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Walkway and Street Bridge: Visitors walk below a street bridge, which crosses the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio. The downtown riverwalk sits several feet below street level which isolates the area like a city park away from downtown traffic. The umbrellas on the left are part of Casa Rio Restaurant, one of the oldest restaurants on the Riverwalk. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Once intended to be a storm drainage system, the San Antonio Riverwalk is now the crown jewel of the city of San Antonio. The riverwalk attracts visitors from across the world and is the most visited site in the area.
In 1921, a massive flood caused the San Antonio River to expand far beyond its boundaries throughout downtown causing 215 deaths and millions of dollars in damage. After the disaster, city leaders began exploring ways to rectify the situation.
One solution was to convert the river to a storm drainage system by straightening the flow of the river to prevent flooding. However, this idea met objections and nothing was done.
In the late 1920s, architect R. H. H. Hugman submitted plans which included improvements to the river shores with limestone rock work along the river and included a riverwalk through the downtown area. This plan was eventually approved and local workers and Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers began construction in the 1930s.
These improvements with some modifications were completed and the riverwalk remained unchanged until the 1960s. The San Antonio Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a committee from the Chamber of Commerce began to investigate ways to improve the river walk to make it more commercially successful. The 1960s also included plans for the world’s fair, HemisFair ‘68 which was planned just a few blocks from the riverwalk in downtown San Antonio.
As a result, major improvements were made in the 1960s and the total length of the river walk was expanded to 3.5 miles. A portion of the improvements included a new stretch of the river leading to HemisFair grounds.
Hotels and restaurants and several retail stores were added and the San Antonio Riverwalk became an integral part of downtown with the improvements of the 1960s.
Today the San Antonio Riverwalk is considered the crown jewel of San Antonio. Both sides of the downtown portion of the river are line with hotels, restaurants, and many other businesses which cater to tourists and business groups visiting the city.
Visitors can tour the downtown area by boat, which are continuously moving on the river. There are river parades, festivals, and many other special events which attract locals and tourists to the downtown events on the river. The Christmas season is lit and decorated making the riverwalk a popular destination during the holidays.
The ‘Downtown Reach’ as this section of the river is known by locals is a one of the most visited areas of the city. The San Antonio Riverwalk has been expanded twice in recent years. An eight mile section known as the ‘Mission Reach’ runs south of downtown by each of the San Antonio Missions. A four mile section known as the ‘Museum Reach’ passes by the San Antonio Art Museum and further north to the Pearl District. The complete length of the San Antonio Riverwalk is now more than 15 miles long and attracts millions of visitors every year.
San Antonio has done a fantastic job of making the San Antonio River a part of the city. With the expansion of the riverwalk, the various historic and cultural sites in the city are connected by the river. A visit to San Antonio is not complete without a visit to the famous San Antonio Riverwalk.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
River Boat and Restaurants: A river boat cruises down the San Antonio Riverwalk which circles the downtown portion of the walkway. Restaurants can be seen on the shores on both sides of the river. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
La Villita: La Villita and the Arneson River Theatre were built by the WPA in the late 1930s. The performance stage is on one side of the river and an open air amphitheater sits across the river. Performances can be seen at the theatre throughout the year. The design of the area resembles architecture of the San Antonio Missions. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
La Mansion Hotel: The La Mansion Hotel sits on the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk. This hotel was part of the expansion and construction on the river prior to the world’s fair, HemisFair. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
River Expansion: Shown is an expansion of the river made in the 1960s prior to the world’s fair, HemisFair. The .3 mile extension takes visitors from the San Antonio Riverwalk loop to the entrance of the HemisFair grounds. The major buildings of the HemisFair complex now make up much of the San Antonio Convention Center. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
River Boat and Walkway: Another portion of the river walk shows some of the river improvements by the WPA in the 1940s. A river boat of tourists floats by one of the older downtown hotels. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
